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Aditya Shinde was in form yet again as Puneri Paltan brushed aside a resilient U Mumba 37-27 at the SDAT Multi Purpose Indoor Stadium on Wednesday night. It was a strong performance from the season 10 champions, who were losing at the start before the raider came off his own to secure the win.
It was a brilliant start for U Mumba, starting with a tackle by Rinku on Aslam Inamdar, before Ajit Chouhan's Super Raid got Gaurav Khatri, Pankaj Mohite and Gurdeep. This gave U Mumba a 4-0 lead, before Aditya Shinde got Rinku to earn the first points for Puneri Paltan on the night, according to a press release from PKL. This woke the season 10 champions up, who rode on the form of Aditya to get back into the match. His successful raids got Lokesh Ghosliya and then Parvesh Bhainswal off the mat, helping them equalise the score to 5-5, but the raiding of U Mumba ensured U Mumba completed the first quarter in the lead. In the second quarter, Puneri Paltan showed exactly why they are one of the most balanced sides this season. After allowing U Mumba to dictate the early exchanges, the Paltan struck back with a series of sharp raids and well-timed tackles. Aslam and Pankaj led the charge, combining to inflict the first All Out of the match and swing momentum firmly in Puneri's favour. The shift in intensity was evident as the second quarter clearly belonged to Puneri Paltan. From trailing early to leading 17-12 at halftime, they dominated possession, moved with purpose, and dictated the pace of play. The third quarter saw the contest hang in the balance, with Puneri Paltan maintaining a slender one-point lead. U Mumba's Ajit Chouhan continued his sensational run on the night, consistently breaching Puneri's defence and keeping his side within striking distance. His successful raids on Vishal Bhardwaj and Gurdeep reminded everyone of his sharp instincts and composure under pressure. For the Paltan, Aditya Shinde once again stood tall, matching Ajit raid for raid and earning crucial points, while defenders like Gurdeep and Abinesh Nadarajan produced key tackles at critical moments. Even as U Mumba threatened to tilt the momentum with Ajit's dominance and Sandeep's consistency, Puneri's balanced approach meant the score was 22-21 with 10 minutes to go. A tackle by Amirmohammad Zafardanesh on Pankaj equalised the score for U Mumba, before Sandeep got a touch on Rakesh. Both sides matched each other like-for-like, with the lead exchanging hands regularly. A Super Tackle by Aditya Shinde gave the Paltan the lead, which the Paltan capitalised on heading into the final five minutes of the match. With a four-point lead, the Paltan were wary of giving away silly points. Aditya Shinde completed his Super 10, completing 100 points in the PKL, after which Anil scored a Bonus Point in a Do-Or-Die raid, keeping the match exciting to the very end. In the end, an All Out was inflicted on U Mumba by Aditya Shinde, ensuring a 10-point win was handed to the Puneri Paltan. (ANI)
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